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'''Colin Henry Wilson''' (26 June 1931 – 5 December 2013) was a prolific English [[writer]] who first came to prominence as a [[philosopher]] and novelist. He also wrote widely on true [[crime]], [[mysticism]] and the [[paranormal]]. Wilson called his philosophy "new [[existentialism]]" or "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(archaeology) phenomenological] existentialism", and maintained his life work "that of a philosopher, and (his) [[purpose]] to create a new and optimistic existentialism.”

'''Colin Henry Wilson''' (26 June 1931 – 5 December 2013) was a prolific English [[writer]] who first came to prominence as a [[philosopher]] and novelist. He also wrote widely on true [[crime]], [[mysticism]] and the [[paranormal]]. Wilson called his philosophy "new [[existentialism]]" or "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(archaeology) phenomenological] existentialism", and maintained his life work "that of a philosopher, and (his) [[purpose]] to create a new and optimistic existentialism.”

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Gollancz_Ltd Gollancz] published the then 24-year-old Wilson's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider_(Colin_Wilson) The Outsider]'' in 1956. The work examines the role of the social "outsider" in seminal works by various key [[literary]] and cultural figures – such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus Albert Camus], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway Ernest Hemingway], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse Hermann Hesse], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoyevsky Fyodor Dostoyevsky], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James William James], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence T. E. Lawrence] – and discusses Wilson's perception of social [[alienation]] in their work. The book became a best-seller and helped popularise [[existentialism]] in Britain.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Gollancz_Ltd Gollancz] published the then 24-year-old Wilson's ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider_(Colin_Wilson) The Outsider]'' in 1956. The work examines the role of the social "outsider" in seminal works by various key [[literary]] and cultural figures – such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus Albert Camus], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway Ernest Hemingway], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse Hermann Hesse], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoyevsky Fyodor Dostoyevsky], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James William James], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence T. E. Lawrence] – and discusses Wilson's perception of social [[alienation]] in their work. The book became a best-seller and helped popularise [[existentialism]] in Britain.

Wilson became associated with the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Young_Men Angry Young Men]" of British literature. He contributed to ''Declaration'', an anthology of manifestos by writers associated with the movement, and was also anthologised in a popular paperback sampler, ''Protest: The Beat Generation and the Angry Young Men''. Some viewed Wilson and his friends Bill Hopkins and Stuart Holroyd as a sub-group of the "Angries", more concerned with "religious [[values]]" than with liberal or socialist [[politics]]. Critics on the left swiftly labeled them as [[fascist]]; commentator Kenneth Allsop called them "the law givers".

Wilson became associated with the "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Young_Men Angry Young Men]" of British literature. He contributed to ''Declaration'', an anthology of manifestos by writers associated with the movement, and was also anthologised in a popular paperback sampler, ''Protest: The Beat Generation and the Angry Young Men''. Some viewed Wilson and his friends Bill Hopkins and Stuart Holroyd as a sub-group of the "Angries", more concerned with "religious [[values]]" than with liberal or socialist [[politics]]. Critics on the left swiftly labeled them as [[fascist]]; commentator Kenneth Allsop called them "the law givers".

After the initial success of Wilson's first work, critics universally panned ''Religion and the Rebel'' (1957). Time magazine published a review, headlined "Scrambled Egghead", that pilloried the book.[12] By the late 1960s Wilson had become increasingly interested in [[metaphysical]] and [[occult]] themes. In 1971, he published ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Occult:_A_History The Occult: A History]'', featuring interpretations on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley Aleister Crowley], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gurdjieff George Gurdjieff], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Blavatsky Helena Blavatsky], Kabbalah, primitive [[magic]], Franz Mesmer, Grigori Rasputin, Daniel Dunglas Home, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracelsus Paracelsus] (among others). He also wrote a markedly unsympathetic biography of Crowley, ''Aleister Crowley: The Nature of the Beast'', and has written biographies on other spiritual and psychological [[vision]]aries, including Gurdjieff, Carl Jung, Wilhelm Reich, Rudolf Steiner, and P. D. Ouspensky.

After the initial success of Wilson's first work, critics universally panned ''Religion and the Rebel'' (1957). Time magazine published a review, headlined "Scrambled Egghead", that pilloried the book.[12] By the late 1960s Wilson had become increasingly interested in [[metaphysical]] and [[occult]] themes. In 1971, he published ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Occult:_A_History The Occult: A History]'', featuring interpretations on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley Aleister Crowley], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gurdjieff George Gurdjieff], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Blavatsky Helena Blavatsky], Kabbalah, primitive [[magic]], Franz Mesmer, Grigori Rasputin, Daniel Dunglas Home, and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracelsus Paracelsus] (among others). He also wrote a markedly unsympathetic biography of Crowley, ''Aleister Crowley: The Nature of the Beast'', and has written biographies on other spiritual and psychological [[vision]]aries, including Gurdjieff, Carl Jung, Wilhelm Reich, Rudolf Steiner, and P. D. Ouspensky.

Originally, Wilson focused on the cultivation of what he called "Faculty X", which he saw as leading to an increased sense of [[meaning]], and on abilities such as [[telepathy]] and the awareness of other [[energies]]. In his later work he suggests the possibility of life after death and the [[existence]] of spirits, which he personally analyzes as an active member of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Club Ghost Club].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson]

Originally, Wilson focused on the cultivation of what he called "Faculty X", which he saw as leading to an increased sense of [[meaning]], and on abilities such as [[telepathy]] and the awareness of other [[energies]]. In his later work he suggests the possibility of life after death and the [[existence]] of spirits, which he personally analyzes as an active member of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Club Ghost Club].[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson]

[[Category: Biography]]

[[Category: Biography]]